- [Mark] This is Mark Isselhardt, Maple Specialist
with University of Vermont Extension
and this is another Vermont Maple Minute.
Sugar Maple flowers that are fertilized in the spring
will develop into mature seeds in late summer.
The seeds come in the form of winged samaras,
sometimes referred to as helicopters or whirligigs.
Sugar Maple samaras develop in pairs,
but generally, only have one viable seed per pair.
In late summer of heavy seed years,
tree crowns can appear brown as the wings change color
from green to tan or brown.
The wing shape allows the seed to travel great distances,
100 yards or more beyond the parent tree,
which in turn, increases the survival rate
and genetic diversity of the species.
Maple seeds germinate at around 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is one of the lowest germination temperatures
of all forest trees
and germinated seed can regularly be found
before the snow disappears.
Sugar Maple is generally very successful at germinating
with roughly 95% success rate.
But just because a seed germinates
doesn't guarantee it will grow to become a tappable tree.
Less than 50% of all seedlings survive the first year
and since many species of wildlife enjoy
the seeds as a food source,
the numbers will go down from there.
This is Mark Isselhardt, Maple Specialist
with the University of Vermont Extension
and this has been another Vermont Maple Minute.